The power of the laity’s pocketbook to respond positively when the hierarchy reacts negatively was front and center this week in Colorado.

Regular readers of this blog may remember that back in April, Bondings 2.0 reported that Compañeros, an immigrant social service agency in Durango, Colorado, was denied $30,000 of funding from the Catholic Campaign for Human Development by the Diocese of Pueblo because they participate in a social justice coalition which includes a gay-rights advocacy group.

In response, lay people and foundations have raised more than $60,000–more than double the original amount–to support Compañeros. The Denver Post reports:

” ‘A lady from Florida sent us $3. A man in England donated $1,000, and we’ve had everything in between,” [Compañeros’ Executive Director Nicole] Mosher said. ‘It was totally unexpected and amazing.’

‘The Gill Foundation, one of the largest funders of civil-rights activism for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, told Compañeros it would provide a matching grant of $30,000 if it could raise the first $30,000. Both have occurred.”

“This morning, in front of the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Denver, a group called With Charity For All gave Mosher $7,000 collected from Catholics across the country to help sustain Compañeros’ work.

“More than 2,000 people signed have signed a petition asking Pueblo Bishop Fernando Isern to fully restore Compañeros’ church funding.

” ‘Many Catholics love the charitable mission of the Catholic Church but are increasingly alienated by the conservative politics of the Catholic bishops,’ George Burns, Portland, Maine-based founder of With Charity For All, said in a statement released today.”

The Diocese of Pueblo has not responded to this news, and a Catholics United spokesperson had strong criticism of the hierarchy’s actions:

” ‘It’s bad enough that the bishops are pushing an extreme political agenda that is driving a wedge between them and the Catholic faithful,’ Salt said, ‘but this decision (on Compañeros’ funding) is particularly disturbing because they’re showing that they’ll even throw immigrants under the bus as part of that agenda.’ “

Clearly, the faithful are expressing their support both for immigrant rights and LGBT rights by this immense outpouring of support. This story shows the power not only of organization, but of the pocketbook, to express the sensus fidelium–“the sense of the faithful”–on controversial matters. It shows that lay people are willing to use their financial contributions to let the hierarchy know what they think the church’s priorities should be.

I didnt think God’s Gospel was hate. Eg there are many examples recently in Europe and the USA of where the priest at a funeral simply left the scene when he found out the child of the deceased there was gay.

perhaps the worst thing he could have done in the gay persons hour of need

But heres an example of what the “boss priest” did in 2009. Horrendous.